Fighting Back
by Tina101
Summary: Sequel to A Diva No Longer.  A year later Maureen, Joanne and the rest of the Bohemians are trying to recover from the pain Dan caused them.
1. Chapter 1

Fighting Back 

Sequel to _A Diva No Longer_

**Chapter 1:**

A fearful and pained cry jolted Joanne from her sleep. She bolted upright and looked at Maureen. Maureen was curled up in a fetal position sobbing. Joanne gently rolled Maureen over and cradled her in her arms. It took a while, but Maureen eventually calmed down.

"I could feel him touching me, beating me. Over and over again," she whispered.

"It's okay, you're safe. He can't get you now." Joanne rocked Maureen back and forth. She glanced over at her alarm clock; it was only six in the morning, she had to get up in half an hour so she figured she might as well get out of bed. "Do you want me to make you some breakfast?"

"Okay." Joanne kissed Maureen's cheek and climbed out of bed. "Can you get me my chair?"

"Sure, what hurts?"  
"Everything." Joanne grabbed Maureen's wheelchair out of the closet and unfolded it. About once a month, Maureen would have a total breakdown that would confine her to her wheelchair for about a day or so. Joanne helped Maureen into her chair.

"There you go. I'll go make breakfast for us." Joanne squeezed Maureen's hand before going to make breakfast. Maureen wheeled after her.

Maureen grabbed a handful of pills, all painkillers and antidepressants, and popped them in her mouth. Someone knocked on the front door. Maureen wheeled herself across the apartment and looked through the peephole. Satisfied with who it was, Maureen opened the door.

"Hey sweetie," Angel said as she leaned over and gave Maureen a hug. "Having a rough day?"

"I'm just a little sore. What's up?"  
"I wanted to see if you wanted to go out for lunch, but I don't want you to go out if you're in pain. Say we order pizza instead?" Maureen nodded eagerly.

"Yeah, that sounds fun." There was a certain sparkle in Angel's eyes that made her feel safe. Maureen wheeled herself over to the kitchen and struggled to reach the phone.

"Let me help," Angel offered.

"No, I've got it." Maureen grabbed the phone and dialed the number to the pizza place.

When Joanne got home from work around six thirty, Maureen was fast asleep on the couch. There was an empty pizza box on the coffee table with several soda cans, napkins and two paper plates strewn across the floor. Sighing, Joanne began to clean up. She couldn't help but notice the scars on the exposed part of Maureen's back. Some would probably take years to fade away completely. After Joanne finished cleaning up, she heated up some leftovers and sat at the table to eat.

Moaning, Maureen rolled over on the couch and opened her eyes. Joanne was sitting on her recliner watching TV.

"What time is it?" she asked sleepily.

"About eight fifteen. Are you hungry?" Maureen shook her head. "Who was here with you?"

"Angel, we had pizza."

"I know, I saw the box." Maureen sat up and hoisted herself into her chair. "Where are you going?"

"Bed, I'm tired." Maureen leaned over and gave Joanne a kiss. "Love you."

"Love you too." Joanne watched Maureen wheel herself to the bedroom. Even a year after leaving Dan, she wasn't a hundred percent back. Her appetite was much smaller, and she slept a lot more. Joanne only hoped that the phrase 'time heals all wounds' would be the case here.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2:**

A week later, all the Bohemians were gather at their usual table at the Life. Maureen's can leaned against the table between her and Joanne. Maureen looked at her empty beer bottle and scowled.

When she reached over to grab Roger's beer, Roger exclaimed, "Maureen!" Maureen froze. Roger's face softened. Maureen put her hands in her lap. "I'm sorry, Mo. Here, you take it."

"No, I'm good. I should have asked." Roger put his beer bottle in front of Maureen and went back to what he had been doing.

The Bohemians left around midnight. Maureen had been silent since Roger had snapped at her. Outside, Roger gently pulled Maureen to the side to talk to her.

"Mo, I'm sorry I snapped at you," he said.

"No, it's fine. It was your beer, I should have asked," Maureen argued.

"You've never bothered asking before, why should you start now?" Maureen cracked a small smile. Roger gave her a hug. "Come on, we should catch up with everyone else." Roger and Mimi walked down the street to catch up with the rest of the Bohemians.

As soon as they got home, Roger and Mimi began to get ready for bed. Roger stripped down to his boxers and simply fell into bed while Mimi changed into pajama pants and a tank top.

"What was up between you and Maureen?" she asked as she climbed into bed.

"I was making sure that she was okay after I snapped at her at the Life." Mimi snuggled against Roger, instantly molding her body to his perfectly. Roger stroked her hair.

"Is Maureen okay now?"

"Yeah, I think so. Sometimes I forget that you have to be gentler with her than before." Mimi ran her fingers across Roger's bare chest.

"It's only been a year, giver her some time." Roger kissed the top of Mimi's head and closed his eyes. He was getting tired of waiting for the same old Maureen to come bouncing back with unimaginable energy.

**A/N:** Sorry about the super short chapter!!

Tina101


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3:**

Joanne was sitting at her desk at her home office when she felt a pair of arms wrap around her from behind. She patted Maureen's arms.

"What's up, Honeybear?" she asked.

"I'm bored," Maureen complained. "Are you almost done?" Joanne put down her pen.

"I can take a break right now for you." Maureen began to kiss Joanne tenderly. Joanne stroked Maureen's cheek softly with the back of her hand. The phone rang, ruining the moment. Joanne broke off the kiss and picked up the phone on her desk. "Hello?" Maureen leaned against the large desk that fit in the far corner of the room. "Oh hi Olivia!" Maureen looked up. "What can I do for you?" Joanne stopped while Olivia replied. "Of course, we'll be right down. Okay, bye."

"What did Olivia want?" Maureen asked after Joanne hung up the phone.

"She wants us to come down to the precinct right away, it's important," Joanne replied. Maureen's heart skipped a beat; she didn't know what to think of this emergency.

Olivia looked up from her mountain of paperwork to see Maureen and Joanne entering the precinct. She stood up and to greet her old friends.

"How are you doing, Maureen?" Olivia asked.

"Pretty good," Maureen replied.

"That's good. Why don't we go into the room over here to talk? Elliot should be joining us in a second." Maureen and Joanne followed Olivia to a free room to talk in private. As soon as they sat down, Elliot came into the room.

"Hello Joanne, Maureen," he said.

"Hello."

"Hi." Elliot took a seat next to Olivia across from Maureen and Joanne.

"We got a call from Rikers Island today, where Dan Keyes has been detained for the past year," Olivia started. "Somehow, Dan managed to escape from police custody while being transferred to another facility." Maureen's face fell.

"What? That bastard's loose somewhere in the City!? I thought you were going to keep me safe!"

"We _are_ going to keep you safe," Elliot said. "That's why we're going to have an officer stay on your apartment twenty-four seven. If Dan tries to get near you, someone will be there to protect you." Maureen was still crying. Joanne wrapped her arms around her to calm her down while Olivia went to go get her some water.

"What's being done to find Dan?" Joanne asked Elliot.

"We have people working around the clock to find him. Everything that can be done to find him _is_ being done." Olivia handed Maureen a bottle of water. Maureen opened it and took a small sip.

"We'll get a squad car to talk you home," Olivia told her and Joanne. Joanne nodded gratefully.

"Thank you," she said. Once Maureen had calmed down a little, she and Joanne got in a squad car to get home. The entire way home, Maureen stared out the window silently. Joanne rubbed her thigh to keep her calm. Both were trying to figure out what the next step in the healing process was.

**A/N:** Yet again, _another_ short chapter. My apologies.

Tina101


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter 4:**

Maureen was huddled on the couch while Joanne was at work. Even with the police officer standing outside, she didn't feel safe. There was a noise behind her. Maureen's head whipped around. She was about to scream when a hand clamped firmly over her mouth.

"Don't yo dare make a noise," a familiar voice hissed. It was Dan! Dan dragged Maureen to the farthest room away from the front door, Joanne's office, and tossed her on the floor. Maureen curled up in a ball and squeezed her eyes shut. She felt Dan touch her, exactly like her nightmares. Then, she felt him pull off her jeans and underwear. Maureen did what she used to do when she lived with Dan; she looked away. When Dan was done, he simply pulled on his pants and left out the fire escape just like he had come in, as if nothing had happened.

When Joanne got home from work an hour later, she could hear the shower running. Joanne put away her things and went to go check on Maureen. She found Maureen huddled in the shower in only a bra and a t-shirt with ice-cold water spraying down on her. Tears ran down her cheeks. Joanne immediately turned the water off.

"What happened, Honeybear?" she asked as she gently peeled Maureen's soaked clothes off her body. Maureen continued to cry. Joanne began to fill up the bathtub with hot water to warm Maureen up. She brushed a strand of hair out of Maureen's face. "There you go, is that better?" Maureen sank down so her shoulders were submerged. Joanne stood up to leave. Maureen grabbed her wrist.

"Don't leave me," she pleaded.

"I'll be right there in the bedroom. I'll keep the door open so you can see me. Okay?" Joanne kissed the side of Maureen's head and went to go change.

Half an hour later, Maureen climbed out of the bathtub. She wrapped a clean towel around herself and fell into bed. Right now, all she wanted to do was go tot bed and forget all about the nightmare that had occurred earlier.

When Joanne went to bed around ten, Maureen was still fast asleep in a towel. Joanne carefully covered her up with a thick quilt and went to bed herself. Maureen's amazing recovery seemed to be rapidly declining, and it was worrying Joanne.

Maureen tucked the small trashcan from the bathroom under one arm and grabbed her cane with her free hand.

As she passed by the officer out front, she said, "I'm taking this to the garbage shoot right around the corner. I'll be right back." The officer nodded. Two years ago, Maureen would have been shamelessly flirting with the officer. So many things were different now. Maureen emptied the trashcan into the shoot. She turned around and dropped her can and trashcan. Dan was standing there with a gun.

"Don't make a sound," he ordered. Maureen allowed herself to be dragged into the stairwell without making a sound. She felt Dan beat her mercilessly, but it all seemed like an out of body experience. Dan pulled off Maureen's clothes and kicked her down the stairs. The next thing Maureen could comprehend was a fire of pain burning through her back. She felt herself slipping away, was this really how she was going to die, alone in a stairwell?

Once Dan was done, he left Maureen's limp form bleeding heavily and naked on the stairwell. He had to leave before someone saw him and called the police.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5:**

Olivia and Elliot exited the elevator and walked down the hallway to Maureen and Joanne's apartment. They nodded at the officer.

"Maureen went to go take the trash to the shoot about fifteen minutes ago," he said. Elliot and Olivia looked at each other.

"Fifteen minutes ago? The garbage shoot is right around the corner. Wait here," Elliot ordered. He and Olivia left to go look for Maureen.

Upon finding no sign of Maureen in the hallway, Olivia opened the door to the adjacent stairwell. She gasped when she saw Maureen. Olivia pulled off her jacket and covered Maureen up before checking for a pulse and radioing for an ambulance.

"Hey Elliot! I found her!" Elliot stood halfway down the flight of stairs.

"Is there a pulse?"

"Barely, I already called a bus." Elliot slammed his fist against the wall.

"Damn-it, we were supposed to keep her safe!" Olivia turned her attention back to keeping Maureen alive until an ambulance arrived.

When Joanne came out of her meeting at work, she found Elliot standing in the hallway waiting for her. Right away, she could tell that something was wrong.

"Joanne, I need you to come with me," Elliot said. "Maureen's in the hospital."

"Oh my God, what happened?"

"I'll explain on the way. Right now, we need to get to the hospital right away. Olivia's already down there." Joanne grabbed her belongings and rushed to Elliot's waiting car.

Olivia was waiting for Elliot and Joanne in the waiting room. Already, Joanne was crying.

"How the hell did this happen?" she demanded.

"Apparently Maureen went to take the trash out. From what we can tell, she was attack then," Olivia replied.

"I thought the purpose of having an officer was to keep us safe!"

"Our captain is taking care of that as we speak. Why don't we get you some coffee to calm you down?" Olivia suggested. Joanne shook her head.

"No, I only want to wait." Olivia gently guided Joanne over to a couch and had her sit down.

Nearly two hours later, Joanne was alone in the waiting room with her head in her hands. Olivia and Elliot had work to do, so they left. Joanne had called the rest of the Bohemians, and they were all on their way down.

"Is there someone here for a Ms. Maureen Johnson?" someone asked. Joanne looked up.

"Yeah, I am," she replied as she stood up.

"My name's Lillian Koon." Joanne shook Dr. Koon's hand.

"Joanne Jefferson. Please tell me that Maureen is going to be alright."

"I can take you to see her right now for a minute or so. It's still touch and go at the moment. If you'll follow me please." Joanne followed Dr. Koon to Maureen's hospital room.

Joanne and Dr. Koon stopped outside Maureen's room. Joanne couldn't believe what she saw. Just the number of machines was astonishing. Maureen was covered in bruises and several cuts. A large white cast completely engulfed the lower part of her right leg.

"Is she on life support?" Joanne asked.

"No." Joanne let out a breath of relief. "Ms. Johnson suffered a rupture spleen, we were forced to remove it to stop the internal bleeding. She also lost a fair amount of blood due to the lacerations on her back some of which required stitches. There was also severe trauma to the vaginal region. We had to use stitches that will dissolve in the body. Ms. Johnson is a very lucky woman. Unfortunately, this will be a major setback in her physical therapy. She broke her leg in three places and cracked two ribs from what appears to be a result of being thrown down a flight of stairs.

"Oh my God. How long will Maureen be in the hospital?"

"About two weeks would be my guess. Of course, there's no way to tell until Ms. Johnson comes around in about half an hour." Joanne nodded.

"So all I can do is wait?"  
"I'm afraid so."

"Doctor, are there any self-inflicted wounds anywhere on Maureen?" Dr. Koon shook her head.

"No."

"Is she on a suicide watch?"

"No."

"How can I change that? Whom do I talk to?"

"You can talk to me about it. I'll go get the paperwork right now." Joanne shook Dr. Koon's hand and went back to the waiting room.

By the time Joanne got back to the waiting room, all the Bohemians were there. Joanne rushed into the arms of the first person she could get to, Collins. Collins rubbed her back as she sobbed.

"I, I just saw her. It's worse than last time, there's a chance she might not make it."

"Of course she'll make it," Collins assured. "Don't you worry, Maureen's a fighter." Joanne continued to cling to Collins for support and sob.

About forty-five minutes later, Dr. Koon arrived in the waiting room and told Joanne that Maureen was coming around. Right away, Joanne left to go see Maureen.

Maureen cracked her eyes open. She could hear peoples' voices and machines beeping. Maureen was hit with a sudden wave and unimaginable pain. She felt someone hold her hand. It felt like her right leg weighed a ton. Maureen pulled her hand away from whoever was holding it.

"Maureen, can you hear me?" a distant voice asked. Maureen opened her eyes as much as she could. Her left eye was swollen halfway shut. She looked to her right and saw Joanne sitting next to her.

"What happened?" she asked in a hoarse voice.

"You were attacked," Joanne replied. Maureen closed her eyes. Visions of the attack came rushing back to her. "Don't worry, you're safe here."

"I want to go home," Maureen said as she began to cry.

"You have to stay here for a little while. Then, you can go home."

"I want to go home. I don't want to be here." When Maureen wrapped her arms around her middle, she cried out in pain.

"Shh, it's okay," Joanne cooed as she brushed a strand of hair out of Maureen's face. Maureen turned away from Joanne's gentle touch. This didn't offend Joanne; she knew that this attack sent Maureen's healing process back to square one.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter 6:**

Joanne walked down the hall to Maureen's room with a cup of coffee in her hand. She stopped when she saw Mr. and Mrs. Johnson talking to a nurse.

"Mrs. Johnson!" Joanne called. The Johnsons turned around.

"Oh Joanne," Mrs. Johnson breathed as she gave Joanne a hug. "We got your message, what happened to Maureen?"  
"She was attacked by her ex-boyfriend," Joanne replied quietly. "I can take you to see her, but I have to warn you, she's pretty beat up."

"That doesn't matter," Mr. Johnson assured. Joanne led Maureen's parents to Maureen's room down the hall.

"I have to tell you," Joanne started. "Don't touch her. She's uncomfortable with human contact and is in a great deal of pain. Also, Mr. Johnson, Maureen's _extremely _uncomfortable around men; just a warning."

"Thank you, Joanne; Maureen's lucky to have someone like you," Mrs. Johnson said before going in to see Maureen with her husband. Joanne leaned against the wall. The Johnsons had finally accepted her, but it was bittersweet victory; it had come after a tragedy on Maureen's part.

Maureen slowly opened her eyes. She was surprised to see her parents in her room waiting for her to wake up.

"What are you doing here?" she asked rather rudely as she pressed a button to prop herself up.

"Joanne called us," Mr. Johnson replied. "Why didn't you tell us about this guy?" Maureen refused to look at her father.

"I'm sorry," she muttered.

"Oh sweetie, it's not your fault," Mrs. Johnson said. She reached out to comfort Maureen. Maureen shrank away from her mother.

"I think you should leave," she said quietly but forcefully. "I want you to leave."

"Maureen, we came to make sure you were alright," Mrs. Johnson argued.

"I don't want you here. I want Joanne. I want you to leave."

"Maureen-"

"Leave!" Not wishing to upset Maureen even more, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson reluctantly left.

Maureen opened her eyes slowly so her eyes could get used to the bright lights. Mimi, Roger and Joanne were talking quietly in the far corner of the room. There were cards, flowers and several balloons littered around the room. Mimi looked over and smiled.

"Morning sleepyhead," she chirped. Maureen propped herself up. when she reached over to get herself a glass of water, she cried out in pain.

"Here you go, Mo," Roger said as he poured Maureen a cup of water. Maureen took the cheap plastic cup without making eye contact with Roger.

"Thank you." Maureen took a sip of the water, clearing her throat. "Where did all these things come from?"

"My parents, your parents, people from Life Support, all our friends, and I think Elliot and Olivia sent something from everyone at the precinct," Joanne replied. Maureen shifted uncomfortably.

"What's wrong?" Mimi asked.

"My leg itches." Maureen stopped moving because it hurt too much. This pain was starting to get to her.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter 7:**

Maureen twitched. Through her closed eyes she could tell that there was a flash. A few seconds later, there was another flash. Slowly, Maureen opened her eyes. There was a strange man in doctor scrubs standing at the foot of her bed taking photos of her. Terrified, Maureen began to scream. An officer came bursting into the room with his gun drawn. The photographer froze. Maureen continued to sob. Joanne ran into the room and wrapped her arms around Maureen as gently as possible.

"It's okay, you're safe. Don't you worry, nobody can get you," she soothed. Meanwhile, Elliot showed up and dragged the photographer out of the room.

Outside of Maureen's hospital room, Elliot pressed the photographer up against the wall. Maureen's cries could still be heard.

"Who the hell are you?" Elliot demanded.

"My, my name's Lance Charles. I'm a photographer for the Post. I'm here to get pictures for an article to catch the escaped prisoner." Elliot got right in Lance's face.

"You hear those screams? Those are screams of terror. That woman has been through horrors. Now, you're going to give me your camera and leave." Lance happily handed over his camera and bolted down the crowded hospital corridor.

Once Lance was gone, Elliot went to go check on Maureen. Maureen was still crying. A nurse was busy injecting a clear liquid into her IV. Almost right away, Maureen calmed down. She felt her eyes get heavy. No matter how much she tried to fight it, she fell asleep.

Joanne carefully laid Maureen's sleeping form down on the bed and covered her up. then, she planted a kiss on Maureen's cheek.

"Joanne, you have my apologies," Elliot said. Joanne shook her head.

"It's not your fault, he was dressed as a doctor. Nobody would think not to trust a doctor." Joanne continued to stroke Maureen's wavy hair.

"I'll be right outside if you need anything." Joanne nodded gratefully.

"Thank you, Elliot." Joanne continued to run her fingers through Maureen's hair as Elliot left the room. She wanted to get Maureen something to help her recover.

Maureen grabbed Joanne's hand. She _really_ didn't like this. Dr. Koon was currently trying to check on how she was healing from when Dan had raped her.

"Relax, Maureen," Dr. Koon said gently from the foot of Maureen's bed. Maureen whimpered.

"I don't want to do this, I want to go home," Maureen moaned as she clamped her legs closed to the best of her ability with her cast on her leg.

"Sweetie, please open your legs. I promise, I won't hurt you. All I want to do is to make sure everything's healing like it should so you can go home first thing in the morning." That got Maureen to open her legs. She continued to whimper and squeeze her eyes shut.

"You're dong fine, Mo," Joanne whispered in her ear. After a few minutes, Dr. Koon stood up.

"Okay, I'm done," she said as she pulled the blanket over Maureen's legs. Maureen straightened out her legs. "Everything looks great. The stitches have already disintegrated into your body. You're healing wonderfully."

"So I can go home tomorrow?"

"I don't see why not. Looks like you'll be going home in the morning." For the first time in weeks, the faintest hint of a smile crept across Maureen's face.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter 8:**

Joanne wheeled Maureen into their apartment. There was no welcome home celebration. Everyone respected Maureen's need for some time alone to heal. Joanne wheeled her over to the couch.

"I got you something," Joanne said as she helped Maureen onto the couch.

"You did?" Joanne nodded.

"Yeah, wait right here. I'll be right back." Joanne retreated to the bedroom. About a minute or so later, she returned with a small fuzzy object in her arms.

"What is it?"

"It's a puppy. I figured that you'd need something to keep you company when I go back to work." Joanne handed Maureen the puppy.

"When do you go back?" she asked sadly.

"In two weeks."

"I don't want you to leave me."

"Don't you worry, I wouldn't leave you if I thought you weren't ready." Maureen scratched the puppy's head. It was a small, fairly calm Yorkshire terrier that was mostly black with tan legs and tan on its chest and floppy black ears. "What do you want to name him?"

"Sammy, his name is Sammy." Joanne scratched Sammy's head.

"Do you need anything?" she asked. Maureen shook her head.

"I want to take a nap."

"Let me get you some pillows." When Joanne got back from the bedroom, Maureen was lying down on the couch with Sammy. "Sit up for a second, please." Joanne helped Maureen sit up. Sammy growled in complaint. Joanne slid two pillows behind Maureen. "There you go. Now, sit back carefully." Joanne got up and propped Maureen's broken leg up with two other pillows. "I'll be in my office if you need anything, okay?" Maureen nodded. Joanne covered her up with a blanket and went to get some work done.

When Maureen woke up a few hours later, she smelled dinner being cooked in the kitchen. Sammy was standing underfoot in the kitchen begging for food.

"Move dog," Joanne snapped as she went to go check on Maureen. "Morning, Honeybear, how long have you been up?"

"Only a minute or so."

"Do you need anything?" Maureen shook her head. Sammy tried to jump up on the couch but was too short. Joanne picked him up and put him on Maureen's lap. He happily curled up and went to sleep. "Are you okay?" When Joanne went to go touch Maureen, Maureen shrank away."

"I want to be alone."

"That's fine." Joanne handed her the TV remote. "There you go. I'll be in the kitchen finishing up dinner if you need anything, okay?" Maureen nodded. Joanne gave her a small smile and went back to the kitchen. She knew she had to respect Maureen's need to space, however difficult it was.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9:**

Roger sat at the kitchen table drinking coffee. Mimi was running around looking for her work clothes. Currently, she was working as a waitress at a diner down the street. Mimi slid her shows on and gave Roger a kiss.

"I want you to go down to Maureen and Joanne's place and see how they're doing," she told him. Roger went in for another kiss. Mimi pressed her fingers to his lips. "Got it, mister?"  
"Yeah, I'll go around noon. I love you." Mimi kissed Roger tenderly.

"I love you too." Mimi grabbed her jacket. "I should be home around six thirty," she called over her shoulder before leaving for work.

Around one thirty, Roger knocked on the door to Maureen and Joanne's apartment. Sammy began to bark. Joanne opened the door with the small animal in her arms. The police officer next to the door simply stood there.

"Hello Roger," Joanne said.

"Hey Jo, I came to see how you guys are doing."

"Well, come on in." Roger followed Joanne inside. Maureen was stretched out across the couch on her stomach without a shirt on. Roger wasn't nearly prepared for the welts across his friend's back.

"Jesus Christ," he breathed. Joanne put Sammy down. Right away, he began to jump up on Roger. "Hey Mo." Moaning, Maureen turned her head towards Roger. Her left had dangled over the edge of the couch. Sammy nudged her hand with his nose before curling up under it.

"Why don't we go into the kitchen, I have things to do?" Roger followed Joanne to the kitchen. In the kitchen, Joanne began to dig through a cabinet full of medicine supplies for Maureen.

"How have you guys been?" Roger asked as he leaned against the counter in the small kitchen.

"Okay, I guess." Joanne grabbed a bottle of peroxide and a washcloth. "I take it Mimi sent you?"  
"Yeah, she wanted me to stop by."

"How is she?"

"Good, she's working a lot so she can afford to go back to school next year." Joanne slipped past Roger to the living room. Roger followed her.

"Maureen, I'm going to clean these cuts, okay?" Maureen nodded. Her brown curls were pulled back into a messy bun on the back of her head. Roger took a seat on the recliner. Joanne knelt down next to Maureen. She poured some peroxide on the washcloth and gently dabbed Maureen's back. Maureen whimpered in pain. "Shh, it's okay." Roger reached over to hold Maureen's hand. Instead, Maureen withdrew her hand.

"That hurts," Maureen cried. Joanne rubbed her arms soothingly.

"I know. I know."

By the time Joanne was done, the washcloth was stained red with blood. Roger couldn't believe that Joanne could take care of Maureen like this without showing any emotion.

"Do you need help with anything, Jo?" he asked. Joanne stopped to think.

"Please, if you don't mind. In the pantry is a container of dog food; could you fill up the bowl on the floor for Sammy?"

"Sure." Roger stood up. "Come on, Sammy." Sammy got up and trotted happily after Roger.

"Maureen, why don't you get your shirt on and roll over?" Joanne suggested. Maureen shook her head.

"I want to stay like this," she insisted.

"Let me at least put a pillow under you so you don't hurt your ribs." Joanne helped Maureen sit up slightly and slid a spare pillow under her. "There you go." Roger sat back down.

"How are you doing, Mo?" he asked. Maureen groaned.

"Everything hurts," she replied. "It all hurts all the time."

"Is there anything Mimi and I can do to help?" Maureen shook her head. Her eyes were getting heavy. Before Roger could ask another question, she was asleep. Roger repeated his question to Joanne. Sighing, she took a seat in an armchair.

"I'm afraid not," she replied sadly. "Maureen won't even talk to me. She won't sleep in our room or even go near my office. It feels like we're taking one step forward and three steps back." Tears rolled down Joanne's cheeks, staining them. Roger had no clue what to do next.

"I'm sorry, Jo," he said. Immediately afterwards, he felt stupid for apologizing; none of this was his fault. Joanne wiped her eyes.

"Don't be." She stopped for a few seconds to collect herself. "Actually, there is something you can help me with. I go back to working in a week. As you can imagine, neither of us are prepared for her to be home alone all day. I was wondering if either you or Mimi could stop by every few hours to check up on Maureen."

"Of course, is there anything else you need?" Joanne shook her head. She was grateful for her friends' willingness to help in any way possible.


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter 10:**

Joanne put the dishes from the dishwasher in the cabinet. Maureen was propped up on the couch watching TV with Sammy curled up on her lap. It was getting late, and Joanne was ready to go to bed.

"Maureen, are you ready for bed?" she asked.

"I'm going to sleep out here," Maureen asked. Sighing, Joanne sat on the edge of the recliner.

"Please come to bed with me, I'd feel more comfortable with you near me. I'll be able to help you if you need something."

"I want to sleep out here," Maureen insisted. Joanne took her hand. She was getting better with coming in contact with other people.

"Do you want me to wait out here until you fall asleep?" Maureen shook her head.

"I'm fine. Sammy will be out here with me." Joanne kissed the back of Maureen's hand softly and reluctantly stood up.

"Goodnight, Honeybear, I love you."

"Love you too." Joanne paused for a second before going to bed. She knew why Maureen slept on the couch. Maureen was barely sleeping at night. She'd stay up most of the night watching TV with Sammy on her lap. When she _did_ manage to fall asleep, she left all the lights on. Joanne pulled on her pajamas and crawled into bed. She had to figure out a way to get Maureen to sleep. Tears began to form in Joanne's eyes. She quietly cried herself to sleep.

The following evening, Joanne carefully crushed one of Maureen's sleeping pills. She poured the fine powder into a glass of orange juice and brought it to Maureen after mixing it up some.

"Here, Honeybear, drink this," she said. Maureen took a sip. "Now remember, I'm going back to work tomorrow, okay?" Maureen nodded. "And on Saturday, I'm taking you to see a therapist." Maureen drained her glass.

"I don't want to."

"You have to so you can be ready to talk to Elliot and Olivia." Maureen shook her head.

"I can't." Already, Maureen's words were beginning to slur. Her limbs began to feel heavy and sluggish. Right away, Maureen knew something wasn't right. "What did you do to my drink?"

"I put your regular dosage of sleeping pills in it so you'll sleep all night."

"You drugged me?" It was becoming harder and harder for Maureen to get the words out of her mouth. Her thoughts were starting to swim together.

"I wanted you to sleep through the night." Maureen tried to sit up straighter, but her body felt like lead.

"Lay down, Maureen. You need your rest." Maureen fought to keep her eyes open. "Go to sleep, Honeybear. I'll see you in the morning." After about a minute, Maureen lost the energy she was using to fight the sedative and fell into a deep slumber. Careful of the wounds on her back, Joanne picked Maureen up and carried her to bed. Sammy trotted after her and curled up on the floor next to Maureen's side of the bed. Joanne put Maureen to bed. She paid special attention to her discolored right leg. The cast had been removed the day before, but the leg still needed to be tended to. Joanne brushed Maureen's hair out of her face and kissed her forehead softly. For the first time in weeks, Maureen was getting a full night's sleep.

Joanne rolled over and looked at the clock. It was five in the morning, and the phone was ringing. Joanne grabbed the phone next to the bed.

"Hello?" she mumbled with her eyes still half closed.

"Joanne, it's Olivia. I'm sorry for calling you so early, but I thought that you'd like to know this the second we found out. Dan Keyes has been caught and detained." Joanne was now wide-awake.

"Really?"

"We caught him about an hour ago. You guys are now perfectly safe."

"Thank you, Olivia."

"You're welcome. Now, I'll let you go back to sleep. We'll keep in touch." Joanne said goodbye to Olivia and hung up the phone. She then rolled over and shook Maureen's shoulder.

"Maureen, Maureen!"

"Huh, what?"

"They caught Dan."

"They did?"  
"Yep." Maureen nodded and went back to sleep. Joanne knew that she was too doped up to really comprehend what Joanne had said. Joanne pulled the covers up around both her and Maureen and went back to bed for another hour and a half.

Joanne was busy gathering her belongings for her first day back to work when Maureen wheeled herself out of their bedroom. She was still in her pajamas.

"I had a dream that Dan was caught," she told Joanne.

"it wasn't a dream, honey," Joanne said.

"Oh my God." Tears began to form in Maureen's eyes. Joanne leaned over and gave her a comforting hug. "I can't believe it." Joanne held Maureen for a few minutes before letting go.

"I have to go now, I'm sorry baby." Joanne gave Maureen a kiss. "Call me if you need _anything_, okay?"

"I will." Joanne got together her things for work and reluctantly left Maureen home alone. However difficult this was, it marked a huge landmark for Maureen.

Several minutes after Joanne left, Maureen wheeled herself into the bedroom and pulled her walker out of the closet. Sammy stood in the doorway watching her. Maureen unfolded her walker and got to her feet. Very carefully, she put one foot in front of the other. Slowly, she eased herself across the room to the living room. Sammy ran ahead of her and jumped on the couch. After a few seconds, he leapt down and rushed over to Maureen. This process kept repeating itself until Maureen got over to the couch. Letting out an exhausted sigh, Maureen laid down on the couch. Sammy curled up between her and the couch and rested his head on her thigh. Maureen stroked the soft fur on the top of Sammy's head. Just walking from the bedroom to the couch completely wiped her out. A single tear rolled down Maureen's cheek. All she wanted was her independence back.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter 11:**

Joanne wheeled Maureen into the therapist's waiting room. Maureen had been silent since she had gotten up that morning.

"I'm going to go sign you in, okay?" Joanne asked. Maureen simply stared at the ground. Joanne went to go sign Maureen in.

Several minutes later, a nurse came in and called Maureen's name. Joanne wheeled Maureen back to the office. A woman in her fifties that reminded Joanne of her aunt stood up.

"Hi, my name's Lynn Pratt," she said. Joanne shook Lynn's hand.

"Joanne Jefferson, and this is Maureen Johnson." Lynn extended her hand to Maureen. Maureen simply stared at her lap. Lynn withdrew her hand. "Do you want me to stay?" Joanne asked Lynn.

"I think it would be better if you waited out front; if that's okay with you."

"That's fine." Joanne leaned over and kissed Maureen's cheek affectionately. "I'll be right outside, okay Mo?" Maureen didn't respond. "I'll see you in an hour." Joanne said goodbye to Lynn and left her alone with Maureen.

Lynn grabbed a pen and notebook off her desk and took a seat on a worn, yet comfortable faded armchair.

"Tell me Maureen, is Joanne your girlfriend?" she asked. Maureen said nothing. "How long have you two been dating?" Still nothing. Lynn jotted some notes down. "Can you tell me about Dan?" Maureen bowed her head, causing her hair to form a veil across her face, concealing it from Lynn. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks from behind the mask. Lynn handed Maureen a box of tissues. Maureen hit the box, sending it flying across the room. "Maureen, I'm only trying to help." Maureen ground the heels of her palms into her eyes to stop the flow of tears. She had to stop crying. If she stopped crying, everyone would think that she didn't need help anymore.

After an hour of attempting to talk to Maureen, Lynn wheeled Maureen into the waiting room. Joanne put down her work and stood up.

"How'd it go?" she asked. Lynn sighed.

"She didn't say a word the whole time." Joanne knelt down in front of Maureen and brushed a loose strand of hair out of her face.

"What's wrong, Mo?"

"I want to go home," Maureen mumbled.

"Of course." Joanne stood up. "Thank you, doctor."

"Sorry I couldn't have been more help." Joanne shook hands with Lynn and left with Maureen to go home.

As soon as Maureen got home, she grabbed her walker from next to the couch and hoisted herself to her feet. Joanne filled Sammy's water dish.

"Will you help me shower?" Maureen asked softly. Joanne looked up from what she was doing. Maureen's request had caught her off guard. Normally, Maureen tried to assert her independence, not request for help.

"Sure, what's wrong?"

"Everything hurts. Will you help me?" Joanne put her hand on Maureen's back to help her.

"Why don't you use your chair?" Maureen shook her head. She put one foot in front of the other and worked her way over to the bathroom.

Twenty minutes later, Maureen sat hunched over on her bench in the bathroom while Joanne washed her hair.

"Why didn't you talk to the therapist?" Joanne asked her. Maureen shook her head.

"I didn't want to talk to her, she wouldn't understand." Joanne tilted Maureen's head back and rinsed out her hair. Joanne kissed her forehead softly.

"Will you be able to talk to Olivia and Elliot next week?" Maureen closed her eyes and enjoyed the soothing feeling Joanne gave her. "Honeybear, will you be able to talk to Elliot and Olivia?"  
"Yeah, I will." Joanne finished up bathing Maureen and helped her get to bed.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter 12:**

Joanne brushed Maureen's wavy hair and pulled it back into a French braid. Elliot and Olivia were due to arrive in about half an hour.

Joanne finished up and said, "I've got to run down to the pharmacy on the corner, okay?" Maureen nodded.

"That's fine. Are you going to take Sammy?"  
"No, not this time. Try to take it easy; I'll be back in about twenty minutes." Joanne gave Maureen a kiss and left for the pharmacy.

Maureen used her walker to get herself to the kitchen. There, she left her walker behind and leaned on the counter for support. Maureen stumbled over her clumsy feet and fell on her stomach. She tried to regain her footing but couldn't. Maureen slammed her fist against the cold floor in frustration.

Olivia and Elliot knocked on the door to Joanne and Maureen's apartment. Sammy began to bark, but that was the only response.

"Do they know we're coming?" Olivia and Elliot's companion, Dr. George Huang, asked.

"Joanne stays on top of these things," Elliot replied as he knocked again. Sammy continued to bark.

"Wait, a minute, shh," Olivia ordered.

"Help!" The plea for help was muffled.

"Maureen?"

"Olivia? Help! I can't get up!"

"Okay honey; is there a spare key somewhere out here?"  
"Yeah, under the fire extinguisher." Elliot grabbed the key and unlocked the door. Right away, Sammy began to jump up on the new guests. Olivia rushed over to the kitchen where Maureen was. She gently rolled her over and picked her up.

"Are you okay?" Olivia asked. Maureen nodded.

"Where's you chair?" Elliot asked.

"In the master bedroom." Elliot got Maureen's chair, and Olivia put her in it. "Thanks."

"Are you okay?" George asked. Maureen simply stared at him, unclear about this stranger in her house.

"Maureen, this is Dr. George Huang, an FBI psychiatrist here to help us today," Olivia told her.

"A shrink?"  
"I'm here to help you," George explained. Sammy stood in front of Maureen and whimpered. Maureen patted her thigh, signaling Sammy to jump up on her lap.

When Joanne got back from the pharmacy, everyone was gathered around the living room area talking.

"Sorry, I had to run to the pharmacy," Joanne said as she hung up her coat in the closet.

"That fine," Olivia said. "Joanne, this is Dr. George Huang, an FBI psychiatrist." Joanne shook George's hand.

"Nice to meet you," she said.

"Same here." Elliot turned to Maureen.

"Maureen, I need you to tell us what happened to you when Dan attacked you." Maureen put her head in her hands for a few seconds while she collected her thoughts.

"I was taking the trash down to the garbage shoot when Dan grabbed me from behind. He pulled me into the stairwell, and, and he raped me." Maureen began to cry openly. Her voice was almost trance-like, as if she was having an out of body experience. "The rest is all a blur. He pushed me down the stairs and beat me over and over again with something." Maureen was now sobbing. Joanne got up and wrapped her arms around her. "I'm sorry, that's all I remember."

"That's fine, you did a great job," Olivia assured. Maureen buried her face in Joanne's chest. Sammy jumped off her lap and curled up on the floor.

"Will I have to testify again?" Maureen asked timidly.

"No, we have an _extremely_ strong case without you," Elliot replied. Maureen let out a breath of relief.

"Maureen, did Dan say anything to you when he attacked you?" George asked. Maureen shook her head.

"I think that that's enough for today," Joanne insisted. Nobody dared to second guess her. "If you'll excuse me for a minute." Joanne got up and wheeled Maureen to the bedroom. Maureen was drawn in and completely silent.

When Joanne returned from getting Maureen to bed, George was talking quietly to Elliot and Olivia.

"I'm sorry Maureen couldn't be more help," Joanne said as she sat down.

"Its fine, Maureen's still traumatized," George assured. "It doesn't make sense though. Abusive men often insult their victims. For Dan to remain quiet while attacking Maureen doesn't make sense."

"Could she be blocking parts of her attack out?" Joanne asked. George nodded thoughtfully as he contemplated the question.

"She could be." Joanne talked to George, Elliot and Olivia for a little while longer before they left.

As Joanne was cleaning up in the family room, she heard a strange sound come from the bedroom. Right away, she rushed to go check on Maureen. Maureen was sprawled out on her stomach on the bed with a pillow over her head. Soft sobs shook her frail body. Joanne went over and rubbed her back.

"What's wrong, Honeybear?" There was a muffled response. Joanne moved the pillow. "What did you say?"

"I want to be normal again. I want to go clubbing and dancing, and, and I want to be able to walk again on my own," Maureen sobbed. Joanne rolled her over and held her close.

"You will, baby, you will. Before you know it, you'll be the wild and crazy diva of Alphabet City, running around like a madwoman." Maureen buried her face in the nape of Joanne's neck.

"Will you stay with me?" Joanne leaned against the headboard, and Maureen curled up against her.

When Joanne woke up hours later, she was in bed…alone. There was a quilt spread out over her that hadn't been there earlier. Joanne rolled out of bed. Maureen's wheelchair was gone. Joanne went to the family room. The lights and TV were all on. Maureen was hunched over a legal pad, writing furiously.

"Maureen, what are you doing up so late?" Joanne asked sleepily. Maureen's head shot up. It was clear that she had been surprised. Joanne went over and wrapped her arms around Maureen from behind. Maureen covered up what she had been working on. "What are you working on?"

"A protest," Maureen replied simply.

"Why don't you come to bed and work on that in the morning?" Joanne suggested. Maureen shook her head.

"I want to write everything down while they're still in my head."

"Can I see what you have written?" Maureen shook her head.

"It's a surprise." There was a certain glitter in Maureen's eyes; a glitter that Joanne had missed terribly. Joanne kissed Maureen's cheek.

"Don't stay up too late."

"I won't." Joanne gave Maureen another kiss.

"I love you," she murmured in Maureen's ear. She stayed for a few more seconds before going back to bed.

Joanne's alarm clock went off, shattering her sleep. Groaning, Joanne got up and turned off her alarm. Maureen's still wasn't in bed. Joanne rushed to the family room. Maureen was fast asleep at the kitchen table, using her arms as a pillow. Joanne let out a breath of relief. She went over and gently shook Maureen's shoulder. It was crucial to wake Maureen as carefully as possible. Maureen sat up. She looked around, dazed, as if getting her bearings.

"What time is it?" she asked groggily.

"Six thirty." Joanne ran her fingers through Maureen's unruly hair. "Why don't you go back to bed for a few hours?" Maureen backed away from the table. It was obvious that she wasn't all there. Maureen wheeled herself to the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Joanne decided to give Maureen a chance to fall asleep before going to get dressed. Maureen was slowly starting to get better.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter 13:**

Maureen sat in her chair in front of the TV. The TV was more like background noise than entertainment. Maureen was scribbling away the final details of her protest. The front door opened, and Angel skipped into the apartment.

"Hey sugar," she chirped as she kissed Maureen's cheek.

"Hey Angel."

"Oh, is that your stuff for you protest?" Maureen nodded. "Can I see?" Maureen shook her head.

"No, it's a surprise." Maureen was getting tired of telling people that over and over again. "Are you and Collins coming?" Angel sat down on the couch.

"We wouldn't miss it for the world." Maureen and Angel chatted lightly while Maureen worked on her protest.

Just as Maureen decided to take a break to get Angel and herself something to eat, there was a knock on the door. Sammy leapt off Maureen's lap and began to bark.

"Sammy, shut up!" Maureen snapped as she wheeled across the room and opened the door. "Olivia!"

"Hi Maureen, may I come in? I need to tell you something."

"Sure, come on in." Maureen back up so Olivia could get inside. "Olivia, this is my friend, Angel. Ang, Olivia's one of the detectives helping me." Angel stood up and shook Olivia's hand.

"Nice to meet you."

"Same here." Maureen picked Sammy up and held him on her lap to calm the small animal down. "Maureen, I just came from court; Dan was found guilty."

"Oh my God," Maureen breathed. "How long will he be in jail?"

"We won't know until next week. ADA Novak is pushing for life in prison."

"But you'll let me know, right?"

"Of course I will."

As Olivia turned to leave, Maureen called, "Olivia, wait!" Olivia turned back around. "Next Saturday, I'm going a protest about battered women. You and Elliot are more than welcome to come."

"We'd be happy to. Just let me know when and where." Maureen wheeled herself over to the kitchen table and grabbed a flier.

"Here, this has everything on it." Olivia read over the flier.

"Do you have any more of these?" she asked. "I know some places that would be more than happy to put them up."

"Yeah." Maureen turned to Angel. "Angel, could you get some? They're in Joanne's office."

"Sure." Angel retreated to Joanne's office and returned after about a minute of searching the well-organized office with a stack of multi-colored fliers. "Here you go."

"Thank you." Olivia turned to Maureen. "I have to go, but I wanted to tell you about Dan in person."

"Thank you." Olivia said goodbye to Angel and Maureen and left to go back to work.

Joanne hung up her coat in the closet and went into the kitchen where Maureen was making herself something to eat. Her walker was next to her for added support in case she needed it. Joanne wrapped her arms around Maureen from behind.

"How was your day, Honeybear?" she asked. Maureen leaned against Joanne slightly.

"Olivia stopped by," she replied. "Dan was found guilty."

"That's fantastic, Mo. How are you doing about all this?"

"Okay." Joanne slid her hand under Maureen's shirt and across her flat stomach.

"Maybe, if you're up to it of course, we can do something special together." Maureen shook her head.

"I don't want to have sex," she admitted timidly. Joanne removed her hand out of respect for Maureen's wishes.

"That's perfectly fine. I always have a 'Plan B'. We can get out that carton of Rocky Road ice cream you like so much, a movie and curl up on the couch together. How does that sound?"  
"I'd like that." Joanne tipped Maureen's face towards her with her fingertips. Their lips met in a soft, romantic kiss.

**A/N:** Next chapter is the last.

Tina101


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter 14:**

Joanne sat at her desk at her home office, working. A noise from behind her caught her attention. Maureen was in the doorway sitting in her chair. Joanne smiled.

"Hey Honeybear, why don't you come in here?" she suggested. Maureen shook her head.

"I don't want to." Joanne stood up and knelt down in front of Maureen. Sammy was resting comfortably between Maureen's thigh and the side of her wheelchair.

"What's wrong baby?" Tears began to form in Maureen's chocolate eyes. "You know you can tell me anything."

"He raped me, in this room; a week before, before he…" Joanne squeezed Maureen's hand affectionately.

"Why didn't you tell me…or anyone for that matter?"

"I'm sorry!" Maureen cried. Joanne's heart melted.

"Oh no, it's not your fault. Why didn't you tell me about this earlier?"

"He said not to, and then, then he attacked me. I figured that it didn't matter anymore after that."

"Of course it does. Dan degraded you." Maureen leaned forward against Joanne and continued to sob. Joanne couldn't figure out how she could have missed something as huge as this.

Maureen sat off to the side of the stage behind a curtain. There was a large crowd of people gathered around the performance space; far more than Maureen had expected. Those fliers for Olivia had _really_ paid off. Maureen fingered her denim jacket. Nerves were coursing through her body. Joanne appeared.

"You about ready?" she asked. Maureen looked up.

"Yeah, it's now or never." Joanne gave Maureen a kiss. "I'm a little nervous though."

"Don't be, you'll do fine." Joanne gave Maureen another kiss. "I love you."

"Love you too." Maureen waited until Joanne had climbed up the ladder to the spotlight tower before wheeling herself to the center of the stage.

Upon seeing the spotlight come down and focus on Maureen, the vast crowd fell silent. Maureen took a deep breath. She could feel all eyes on her.

"Normally, my protests are wild and eccentric," Maureen started. Her powerful and unusually strong voice carried to the back of the performance space thanks to her microphone. "Unfortunately, things have now changed. My abusive ex boyfriend attacked me a few weeks ago after escaping from jail. There needs to be more help available to battered women! Some women are too afraid to come forward. We need to let them know that there _is_ help available!" Several people cheered. "There needs to be support groups designed just for battered women to help them heal with people who _really_ understand what they went through. There needs to be harsher punishments for abusive men. The American government has no problem helping other countries, but what about the women in their own backyard, their own people, who need help? As American citizens, we have the right to live somewhere where we don't have to sleep on a mat in the closet, or where we're locked out of the pantry to keep us thing, and our only purpose is to cook, clean and provide sex whenever we're told. If women have had rights for over seventy years, then why am I sitting here in a wheelchair!?" Maureen's passionate message hung in the air. Someone began to cheer. This was followed by a thunderous roar that filled Maureen up from the inside out. Smiling, Maureen wheeled herself off to the side of the stage that was curtained off for privacy. She had done what she had set out to do; make a difference.

Fifteen minutes later, Maureen carefully wheeled herself down a platform to the floor below. Right away, she was greeted by hugs and kisses from all her friends.

"That was fantastic, Mo," Collins said.

"Good job, sweetie," Mimi added. Maureen was all smiles.

"Thanks you guys." Maureen turned to Joanne. "Did Elliot and Olivia come?" she asked.

"I'm pretty sure I saw them. Do you want me to go find them?" Maureen shook her head.

"No, I've got it." Maureen said goodbye to her friends and went to go look for Olivia and Elliot.

Maureen saw Elliot and Olivia talking to two blondes. One appeared to be a teenager and the other looked to be around forty. When Olivia saw Maureen, she smiled.

"You did a great job," she said.

"Thank you. I'm glad you both came."

"I said that we'd come. I also wanted you to know that Dan got life in prison." Maureen was utterly speechless.

Elliot said, "Maureen, this is my wife, Cathy, and my daughter, Maureen. Cathy, Maureen, this is Maureen Johnson." Maureen shook both Cathy and Maureen's hands.

"Nice to meet you both," she said politely.

"Your speech was very moving," Cathy said. "You have a true gift for performing."

"Thank you. Once I get better, I'm going to start performing more." Maureen talked to Olivia, Elliot and Elliot's family for a little while longer before they left to go home. Maureen looked around the now semi-crowded performance space. She knew deep down in her heart that her story had made an impact. She knew that her purpose was to help, to make a difference for battered women. That was how she planned to fight back.

**The End**

**Thank You, Jonathan Larson**

**A/N:** Thanks to all my reviewers who wanted a sequel!!

Tina101


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